New Name?

[ulyssees]

A lot of old soulies don't like to be associated with the term Northern Soul, so how about a new name for all the music that came before 1971, here is my suggestion Cellar Soul, any takers?

[Woodbutcher]

Methinks it's more a case of not wanting to be associated with the circus act that 'northern soul' has yet again become rather than the term itself ... 

[Winnie :-)]

What's wrong with just ''soul'', that pretty much covers it   

[Zed1]

A lot of old soulies don't like to be associated with the term Northern Soul,

 

Never been that keen on the term 'Soulie' either...

[Swifty]

What about 'StompingXover70'sfunkyedgedgospeltittyshaker Soul ' ?

Has anyone tried to explain this music we're into ? I can't be arsed to be honest , can you ?

and don't mean that in a snobby way.

 

 

[Cunnie]

A lot of old soulies don't like to be associated with the term Northern Soul, so how about a new name for all the music that came before 1971, here is my suggestion Cellar Soul, any takers?

Why on Earth does the year of release make any difference?

Just call it 'Soulful Dance' music regardless of the year it was recorded as it's all Soul music that people dance to.

[Deadwaxdetective]

What about 'StompingXover70'sfunkyedgedgospeltittyshaker Soul ' ?

Has anyone tried to explain this music we're into ? I can't be arsed to be honest , can you ?

and don't mean that in a snobby way.

 

 

[Deadwaxdetective]

That's easy for you to say!! LOL

[Bazza]

When I started out it had no name ,soon as it got a name it went down hill   

 

 Bazza 

[Peter99]

What about 'StompingXover70'sfunkyedgedgospeltittyshaker Soul ' ?

Has anyone tried to explain this music we're into ? I can't be arsed to be honest , can you ?

and don't mean that in a snobby way.

 

 

Now you are pissed!    

 

I always like to use the term obscure soul as when I try and explain to people they say "oh, that Motown stuff". Nowt wrong with Motown I guess but that isn't what I like. If you get my drift.

 

Obscure soul could be interpreted as a bit poncy and pretentious I guess.

 

Nice

[Theothertosspot]

A lot of old soulies don't like to be associated with the term Northern Soul, so how about a new name for all the music that came before 1971, here is my suggestion Cellar Soul, any takers?

Think Bell Records beat you to it with "Cellar Full Of Soul" which of course was tunes played prior to 71 although am not sure of release date, but early 70's I think.

[Guest clanger v2]

When I started out it had no name ,soon as it got a name it went down hill   

 

 Bazza 

 

As soon as you categorise something by giving it a name, you give people a reason to criticise / exploite it.

 

I like good music, and I know exactly where I have to go to hear it. I don't want it to be called anything because it will soon be diluted into that particularly annoying category of 'Across the Board'.   

[Lovemusic]

After Footsee and Wigans Ovation, I refused to say I was into Northern Soul. When anyone asked I 'd say it was Rare Soul that floated my boat. So that excluded all the chart stuff from the equation and left the real meat of the scene-rare and juicy rather than well done or burnt!  This was to questions asked by the great unwashed, as all of us one the scene just knew anyway. Talking to Barry May about it recently, and he said he just called it Northern.

[Drewtg]

A lot of old soulies don't like to be associated with the term Northern Soul, so how about a new name for all the music that came before 1971, here is my suggestion Cellar Soul, any takers?

 

I must have missed this survey. How many don't like it? It's ok by me

[Bazza]

There was no need for a name,we talked venues,mention a venue and them that knew ,knew

 

Bazza   

[Billywhizz]

There was no need for a name,we talked venues,mention a venue and them that knew ,knew

 

Bazza   

spot on Bazza cheers billy

[dean jj]

I'm not really qualified [as I think I have said before I'm a fellow traveller rather than a party member] but I've always liked the term 'rare soul' as it covers all the variations and vageries of our strange universe.

dean

Edited May 30, 2015 by dean jj

[El Corol]

A lot of old soulies don't like to be associated with the term Northern Soul, so how about a new name for all the music that came before 1971, here is my suggestion Cellar Soul, any takers?

Pensioner Soul?

[Raremusicdirect]

I like the term Northern Soul and wouldn't want it changed, because there is then a distinction when you talk about Rare Soul

[Pete S]

I like the term Northern Soul and wouldn't want it changed, because there is then a distinction when you talk about Rare Soul

 

I agree. Proper Northern Soul.

[Zed1]

Nothing wrong as such with the term 'Northern Soul'. It's just in recent years it's been Bastardized, Labotomized and Dumbed down to the point it's just come to represent a social scene for pi55 head pensioners, and sadly we all get tarred with the same brush.

[Robbk]

What about " A fan of 'all Soul music that's faster than a draggy torch ballad' "

[Frankie Crocker]

Northern Dance Music perhaps... Stick your funky-modern stuff in the cellar.

[Dayo]

When I started out it had no name ,soon as it got a name it went down hill   

 

 Bazza 

I was trying to think what we called it before the term NS was bandied about. As far as I recall they were simply "great disco sounds".

[Russ Vickers]

Unclassified Soul (altho Guy H beat me to it, kinda ).

 

Russ

[Hooker1951]

I was trying to think what we called it before the term NS was bandied about. As far as I recall they were simply "great disco sounds".

It weren't called disco in the north west from 1965 till 1973 it was called Soul and the clubs were it was played were called Soul clubs allniters, afternoon sessions, simply Soul  played at Soul clubs, attended by people who loved 1960's Soul and R nB Mods And Rockers it was a very vibrant Scene  I know I was lucky enough to be there. if you weren't there ask people who were you can't change the past to order,, They were never called great disco sounds.

Still Pressing on ML

[billbaker]

When I first started on the scene in the Midlands in 1970 it was known variously as 'The Rare Soul Scene', 'The Soul Scene' or simply just being 'On The Scene' - as a previous post mentioned if you were on it you knew. I believe it was also earlier called 'The Rhythm & Soul Scene'. I am sure that there would have been other regional variations. Back then there was very little national advertising of events & not that much local either. It was very much word of mouth and yes mention of venues and DJ's said it all.

It is well documented that Dave Godin used the term 'Northern Soul' as an internal reference system in his Soul City shop but I do not recall the term being used externally until about 1974. Yes Dave's article about the scene was headed 'Soul From The North' or similar but crucially not actually 'Northern Soul'.

A few years ago I helped with some research for Neil Rushton's Northern Soul Stories book and had the opportunity to look back through old Blues & Soul magazines. Although it was only a cursory glance through I couldn't find a mention of the term 'Northern Soul' before 1974. I would love to know for sure when the term actually appeared for the first time in print.

So back to the original thread pre 1971 the scene already had a few names.

[John May]

Tin hat on ready for the flack lol, but i like the term Northern Soul, all other terms for the music just don't cut it or create the passion.  rare soul, crossover, R&B, newies, oldies, its all Northern soul too me.

[Guest johnny hart]

Northern Dance Music perhaps... Stick your funky-modern stuff in the cellar.

Ironically,when deep in conversation with Russ In the Casino Green room,after mucho flack he was receiving for Joe 90 ,Tony Blackburn, etc, we hit on that very same title "Northern dance Music", to subdue the spotty, snotty OCD Geeks. 40years on whats changed we now have ; Manny Corchado,Lita Roza ,Jack Hammer,Bob Sinclair and Cilla! For me its Northern Soul ,Everytime.

[Dayo]

Sorry to take issue, though it may not have been widespread, in this neck of the woods they were "good disco sounds" along with Ska, Rock Steady, Pop etc that was also played.  I also sometimes heard it called "Mod Music" - I'm talking 1970/1971.  It is true that the scene may also have been called "Soul"  or "Rare Soul" - not disputing that.  I'm guessing each enclave had their own term - it just didn't have a name - it was not a "movement" back then was it?

Edited June 1, 2015 by Dayo

[Hooker1951]

Sorry to take issue, though it may not have been widespread, in this neck of the woods they were "good disco sounds" along with Ska, Rock Steady, Pop etc that was also played.  I also sometimes heard it called "Mod Music" - I'm talking 1970/1971.  It is true that the scene may also have been called "Soul"  or "Rare Soul" - not disputing that.  I'm guessing each enclave had their own term - it just didn't have a name - it was not a "movement" back then was it?

 

Hi Dayo in the mid 60's up until 1973 as stated in an earlier thread I wrote Soul music was thriving in the north west and over in Yorkshire I was travelling at the time with the fairgrounds and soul was everywhere you went.at the time as regards what was it called you knew by the venues name if it were a soul club and people travelled just like they do now to go dance n listen to the music that they loved, obviously a lot of NS had yet to be discovered but people would be surprised at what was played then Stax,Atlantic,tTamla, and a host of American imports plus stuff on British if you knew what you were looking for. people danced just the same way they do now except maybe a little wilder because they were younger then, so the answer to your question is it was a strong movement which paved the way to becoming NS and rare Soul later on but I can't ever remember there being Rare Soul clubs in 60's n early 70's just simply Soul clubs the same in Germany in the mid 70's Soul clubs in all major towns and Cities A lot of it due to the Amrican bases there since 1945 I visited these clubs in Bochum , Dortmund, Essen and other towns and cities when I lived and worked there. Hope this helps your curiosity.

Kind Regards ML

[Jordirip]

What's wrong with just ''soul'', that pretty much covers it   

 

If I played some 'Northern' to black mates that I have, and said this is soul, I would recieve some very quizzical looks to say the least. The problem is that the traditional northern stuff is as much about pop and garage band stuff as it is soul. So long as it has a 4 to the floor snare beat it would do, whereas most soul doesn't use that beat.

[Guest Ivor Jones]

In my younger days I used to prefer the term "Rare Soul" however, that was before I actually realised that I don't rate a lot of the "Rare Soul" that gets played under that banner. I think that the 80s term of "Real Soul"[mainly used to describe "Indie Soul" releases of the time] was probably best. That term seemed to fall out of favour though…..

   I think It is a shame the the "Northern" term has come to be hijacked by some who haven't really got a clue, the question is though, has it really ever been any different ? You have always had people trying to be part of the scene that don't get it and the hardcore who do.

   Ivor.